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Arnulfo D. Trejo was
indeed a good friend and colleague to many of us. According
to the renowned Chicano writer, Rolando Hinojosa, he stated that
"Socrates once
spoke of the unexamined life as one which was not worth living
. . . by this, the philosopher tells us, he meant that one should
reassess one's life
periodically. Hinojosa believed that Socrates also meant
that the examined life, the one worth living, was one which was
given to service to
something, to a cause.
I believe that we can
all agree that Arnulfo Trejo lived a carefully examined
life and that he lived it for something that he believed in.
Here was a man who could
look back on a lifelong career of significant and meritorious
achievements while at the same time providing us with the guidance
we needed to carry forward the work that he began.
As an idealistic young
library school student, I had the privilege of studying
under Arnulfo Trejo, and later, to join his staff in the GLISA
institute to assist him
in preparing for the next group of GLISA students. While
still a student, my acquaintance with him soon developed into a
friendship as we became
colleagues. You see, I learned much more from him than
"collection development" or "reference services"
for I saw in him a kindness
and dedication to serve our people, while instilling in us the
highest of standards, to
go to the limit, and then some, to strive for excellence
in everything that we do. Arnulfo Trejo was indeed a very
unique role model for
all of us. Era un autentico hijo del pueblo, a son of
the people whom he represented in such an unselfish manner for so many
years.
The history of REFORMA
and the work of Arnulfo Trejo are intertwined. It was
he who laid the groundwork for its first organizational meeting. The
idea for REFORMA came to
him the following a screening of the film "I am Joaquin"
which is based on the epic poem by the same title, written by
Corky Gonzalez.
This took place at the July 1971 conference in Dallas. It
was then that Arnulfo Trejo realized the need for an organization
which would
advocate for library services to the Spanish-speaking in the U.S.
Following the film he
organized a meeting with several other librarians, which
included William Ramirez, Esperanza Acosta, Emma Morales Gonzales,
Modene Martin, Alicia
Iglesias, and Maria Mata. And naturally, as is generally
the case with almost all library groups, the moment you speak
out on any issue, you
are named chairperson for the group.
Arnulfo Trejo therefore
became the first chair. With his characteristic vigor
and resolve, he set about formalizing the group, expanding the size
of its membership by
personally contacting people who he thought would be receptive
to the idea. At first the group was not known as REFORMA. It
was referred to as the
National Association of Spanish-speaking librarians.
It was Arnulfo Trejo who applied for and received funds from
H.E.W. This was
for a special institute in Fort Worth, Texas. It was at
this institute that the
philosophy and objectives of the organization were established,
and strategies were planned for development.
Arnulfo Trejo is
credited with giving the organization its name of REFORMA.
The history of how this came about is also interesting. He told
me that while on a trip
to UCLA he was browsing through some old newsletters
when he came across an article that mentioned a publication
issued by a group of
Californistas name REFORMA. He immediately took a liking
to the name because 'reform' was what the organization intended to
accomplish. The
founding members wanted to insure that new ideas would be introduced
into librarianship--they wanted to 'reform' the existing situation.
Therefore, the name REFORMA was chosen because it represented
this concept.
Of all the people who
have contributed to Hispanic Librarianship in this country,
there is probably no one who has made a greater impact on advancing
this cause than Dr. Arnulfo D. Trejo. He was indeed a stalwart,
a visionary, but most
importantly a man who put his words into action "con todo
el corazon."
As one of the founders
of REFORMA, and its first president, he helped forge
the agenda for Hispanic librarianship in the U.S., and has through
word and deed,
challenged us all to strive for excellence in service to our
communities.
As a founder and
director of the Graduate Library Institute for Spanish-speaking
Americans, Arnulfo Trejo was directly responsible for the training
of fifty-four Latino librarians. As one of those, I am grateful
that he made it possible
for me to enter the profession equipped to serve the
Chicano community with confidence and zeal.
Another face to Arnulfo
Trejo had been his commitment to, and involvement in,
Hispanic community issues in his home town, Tucson. In fact, he
was the
leading advocate in the fight to prevent the destruction, through
"Urban
Renewal," of a historic Chicano barrio and whishing shrine,
"El Tiradito".
Their subsequent rescue and preservation remain as a living
monument and a legacy
for future generations.
I valued Arnulfo Trejo
as a friend. His wise counsel and unflagging personal
support was constant to many of us over the years, someone we
could count on as
"un buen amigo, un colega, y un inspirador."
Sal Güereña
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